Good afternoon! Today is absolutely flying by! Early this evening, Ryan and I have a guest arriving in town. My father-in-law is coming to visit and booked a last-minute flight to Charlotte to stay with us through next Tuesday.
We’re looking forward to showing him around our new hometown (he’s our first guest in our new house!) and we’re hoping to make it out to a few local restaurants, a festival and go on a couple of hikes during his time with us.
In preparation for my father-in-law’s visit, I spent most of the morning organizing the guest room and straightening up around the house in between answering emails and participating in a conference call.
Lunch
Before I knew it, my stomach let me know it was lunchtime. I threw together a quick meal that began with a cup of Fage Greek yogurt to take the edge off.
I ate the yogurt while chopping up all the ingredients I needed to make a delicious salad with ham, romaine, tomato, zucchini and yogurt ranch dressing.
Plus an apple on the side.
Now I’m off to a local middle school for my first Girls on the Run coaching experience! (I am technically leading girls through the Girls on Track program since I am working with 6, 7 and 8th graders.)
I initially thought I was going to have to miss our first practice, but one benefit of forgetting my passport on Saturday is that now I’m able to be there for the first practice with my team! I’m coaching with two assistant coaches who have both volunteered with the organization before, so one of my co-coaches will be leading the lesson today before I dive in on Thursday. I’m so happy I’ll have some experts coaching with me! A bunch of you expressed interest in hearing more about my experience during this season and I’ll be sure to keep you updated as everything progresses.
See ya later!
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Good luck!
maybe share the trainning plan?
It’s so great that you found a volunteer activity, especially one that fits with one of your hobbies. I’m sure it’s going to be fun.
I’m really looking forward to coaching this season! Thanks, Leah! 🙂
How awesome you’re going to be doing Girls on the Run! I’ve heard such great things and can’t wait to hear what you think about the organization!
I coaches with GOTR last year. It was very fun and rewarding and I’m trying to fit it in my schedule again! Enjoy it
Hope you have a great experience with GOTR! I coached three seasons in DC and am on my third season with Alachua County after moving to Gainesville. The group of girls I had for last fall’s Girls on Track was one of my favorite experiences, because the curriculum is really meaningful at that age. Watching some of the girls come out of their shells and enthusiastically getting involved in the discussions made my heart sing.
So awesome that you’re oaching Girls on the Run! What a great way to get involved in your new community. Enjoy your time with your father-in-law!
I used to be the director of Girls on the Run of Northern Arizona. It is such a fabulous program and such a perfect fit for you! You are going to love every minute! I used to cry every year at the 5K race, so awesome to watch them cross the finish line!
What a neat program. You have already gotten so connected in your new hometown. That is fantastic!
Your salad looks really good. And it sounds like you have a fun weekend planned for the Father-in-law. I think the Girls on The Run program is a wonderful idea. I would love to be apart of something like that.
I’ve heard of Girls on the Run before! How cool that you get to coach a group of girls! They are lucky to have you. Hopefully you can bring Sadie along for practices 🙂
Girls on the Run sounds awesome! Good luck with coaching. 🙂
I did Girls on Track for a year before my job got in the way (bummer!), but I loved it!
Just a little unsolicited advice: Sometimes the lessons seem a bit juvenile for the middle schoolers. I was a head coach as well and our council director was okay with us switching the lessons around a little bit as long as we stayed as close to the lesson as possible. We were able to make them a bit more geared towards the age of the middle schoolers. I suggest reading the lessons the night before, or even further ahead than that, and then altering them to fit your girls’ personalities (once you learn them!) while still keeping to the same message and as close to the lesson as possible. It makes it go smoother and I found that my girls were way more likely to open up. 🙂
Have a blast with them! My girls loved it and it was so inspiring to see them work so hard and run their 5k at the end of the season. They have so much to teach you! 🙂
I coached GOT too and this is great advice (as I had similar problems with the lessons at times)!
Great tips!! Thanks for the advice, Tara!
I love girls on the run! I actually used to do it in middle school! It was such a great program!! Also love that chopped ham! Deli ham is so good on salads 😀
I recently heard about the Girl on the Run organization, what a great place to volunteer for! Have a great time.
You’re going to love Girls on the Run! They’re an amazing organization I had the honor of volunteering for once in New York. I should really do it again, I think you may have inspired me!
wow, what a fun opportunity! I have never heard of this program before, but it sounds so exciting! Especially during the fall!
I helped with our local Girls on the Run when I was in high school. It is such a good program and you (and the girls) will get so much out of it. We don’t have our program anymore which makes me so sad, girls should have a program like this in all schools! Have fun!
I bet the weather up there is perfect for hikes right now! It’s pretty nice here, but it seems to usually be a few degrees chillier in NC and I bet the mountains are even more crisp.
Have a great time entertaining! Can’t wait to hear more about GOTR! That’s such a great age to coach, you’re catching them at the right time when they’re just starting to figure out what they’re good at and what they enjoy.
Ham in a salad…never fails! Love it with shredded Brussels! Told ya missing that flight was meant to be!
SO awesome that you’re doing that! Can’t wait to hear how the first workout goes 🙂
What a great program! My teenage niece participated in that a few years ago and it was so good for her! I would love to volunteer at a program like that! It must be so much fun!
Good luck! I’m into the second week of GOTR. I’m sure GOT will be super fun too… interesting age group haha! I’m sure they’ll be opinionated. And possibly more experienced runners!
Last night we had one girl in 5th grade run two miles! She’s a rockstar (but also plays soccer). I’m so impressed every time by the girls’ enthusiasm. Have fun 🙂
I coached girls on the run for 2 years in college and loved it- I think you will enjoy the program and that it’s evidence based
Aw, it’s always nice to cuddle up with a book and some food. 🙂
I’ve heard good things about Girls on the Run. I hope you have fun.
This sounds so fun! I coached gymnastics for elementary/middle kids for a few years in high school/undergrad; the kiddos are so great! Good luck with coaching!! 🙂
That’s awesome that you are doing Girls on the Run. It looks like a very fun and rewarding program.
Loooove Fage–so creamy!
And at least there’s a bright side to the travel mishap 😉
I coached GOTR and GOT when I was a coach last spring – both curriculums were very similar, with a few more mature subjects for GOT. My problem was always getting the girls to take the lessons seriously – that age group likes to giggle about everything and make jokes. I hope it all goes well for you! I loved it, despite some rough lessons!
That’s so fun that you’re working with GOTR! I’ve always wanted to volunteer with them. Excited to hear how you like it! 🙂
I can’t wait I hear more about your GOTR experience. I’ve always wanted to work with them! Guess your trip worked out in a good way.
You are going to absolutely love coaching Girls on Track! I coaches last year in Orlando and it was easily one of the highlights of the entire year. Here’s a tip that I wish I knew before coaching – read through all of your lessons in your book a day or two in advance because it is so easy to get sidetracked and not have enough time to finish them – I learned the hard way. 🙂 I am so, so excited for you! I can’t wait to hear more!
One of my running buddies was a coach for Girls on the Run last season, and I helped her a few times with the practice races. It was SO fun to see little girls so excited to run!
I can’t wait to hear how your first practice went! Thank you so much for sharing your experience here. I am also dying to see pics of the new house, and curious about what festival is this weekend, we also have guests in town.
There is a chili cook off!! It’s up in Mooresville on Saturday –> http://thegreatchilicookoff.com/
I love GOTR. I run their charity race every year and attend the luncheon. My company is a sponsor! I have considered coaching but with a full time job I’m not sure I can find the time! I always support one girl with running shoes instead! Can’t wait to hear all about your experience!
A few girls in a women’s studies class I took in college volunteered with GOTR as part of a class assignment. They reported to our class some of the “lesson plans” being geared towards dating and other ‘girl issues” which although an important subject to broach, I got the impression they were somewhat inappropriate. I love the mission of the organization though.
That sounds like such a cool, fun thing to do with the girls! I hope they’re enthusiastic!
I can’t wait to hear about your experiences! I actually was in Girls on the Run in the fall of 1997 when I lived in Charlotte. I remember really enjoying it and was disappointed when I had to stop going as my family and I moved to Greensboro. And now I’m considering volunteering with the organization… 🙂
Good luck! GOTR is a great organization and I can’t wait to hear what you think!
That’s so amazing that you do Girls On the Run! What a great organization to give your time to. I am so impressed that you have time to give- you always seem so busy 🙂
Also, I love your leaf placemat.
Have a great visit with your father in law. It is always so nice to see family and also show them around your town, especially when it is so new!
I’m in my fourth season of coaching Girls on the Run, and I absolutely love it! I wasn’t a runner before, but I’ve found a love of being with the girls and working towards healthy and happy lifestyles. You are going to absolutely love it! I learn while teaching the girls, and I always leave feeling better than when I started. Have fun!
What’s the recipe for the yogurt ranch dressing ?!
That’s really cool that you’re training young girls and help them enjoy running from a young age! How did you get involved? Did you apply or did they reach out to you?